Once the Saratoga summer season opens on Thursday (July 13), those fortunate enough to pass through the iconic entranceway to the historic track will straightaway encounter not only cool breezeways, decades-old stairways, special events almost every day, giveaways, runaway (winners) and, after Opening Weekend, five-day-a-week racing, until racing concludes on the Labor Day holiday, Sept. 4.
As always, the 40-day meet will be highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers for 3-year-olds on Saturday, Aug. 26. This year, fans may be treated to the unusual spectacle of having the winners of the Kentucky Derby (Mage), Preakness (National Treasure) and Belmont (Arcangelo) meet up in the 154th edition of the “Mid-Summer Derby.”
Opening weekend at the Spa will feature the traditional opener, the $175,000 Schuylerville (G3) for 2-year-old fillies. The first Grade 1 is July 15 — the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares, along with the Schuylerville’s brother race, the $175,000 Sanford (G3) for juveniles on dirt, and the $175,000 Kelso (G3), at 1-mile on the turf for older horses.
Two of the most popular races of the meet hold center stage on July 29: the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) for older horses going 6 furlongs, and the $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2), the local prep for the Travers (G1), at 1 ⅛ miles. The $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap (G2) on the turf concludes July’s stakes action.
Is Saratoga the “August Place to Be?” Check out Whitney Week, featuring 10 stakes races, eight of them graded, worth more than $2.6 million, highlighted by a trio of Grade 1 events on Aug. 5: the $500,000 Test for 3-year-old fillies going 7 furlongs; the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16 miles on the turf, and the venerable $1 million Whitney at 9 furlongs. Concluding the week is the Adirondack (G3) for juvenile fillies.
The “Mid-Summer Derby” is the centerpiece of five Grade 1 stakes on Aug. 26, including a trio of $500,000 events, all at 7 furlongs: the Ballerina for fillies and mares, the Forego for older horses, and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for sophomores. The $750,000 Sword Dancer at 1 ½ miles on the turf rounds out the day’s top-tier stakes.
While New York-breds have their day in the sun on Aug. 27, a trio of Grade 1 events anchors closing weekend, starting with the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 2, followed by the $300,000 Spinaway on Sept. 3 and the traditional closing day stakes, the $300,000 Hopeful on Labor Day.
Who’s who of racing
The top trainers and jockeys in the country – and worldwide — always target the Spa, considered one of the most prestigious race meets on the planet.
Among them are so many Hall of Famers, including trainers Todd Pletcher, Bob Baffert, Bill Mott, Shug McGaughey, and Steve Asmussen, and jockeys Javier Castellano, John Velaquez, and Mike Smith.
As for popular horses, Cody’s Wish, the top-rated horse by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), is a probable for the Whitney, along with recent Stephen Foster (G1) winner West Will Power.
The Travers could be one of the most competitive top-to-bottom fields in years: Mage, National Treasure, and Arcangelo (the Triple Crown race winners) could all be there, along with 2-year-old champion Forte (second in the Belmont), Tapit Trice (third in the Belmont), and Angel of Empire (third in the Derby, fourth in the Belmont).
And the giveaway days (all scheduled on a Friday)
Here’s the lineup for those planning to attend:
July 21: Cooler Jug
Aug. 11: Dri-Fit T Shirt
Aug. 18: Bucket Hat
Sept. 1: Tote Bag